In Case of Nuclear Attack

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Newspapers carried articles and federal employees were given instructions what to do in case of nuclear attack during the 1950s.

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  • Original author: dbreckenridge
  • Created Date: 17 Aug 2007
  • Modified Date:
  • Page views: 2,391 total (11 this week)

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Instructions and Precautions in Case of Nuclear Attack

1950s

For years, American newspapers carried articles regarding what to do if the United States should be attacked by nuclear weapons. Groups and organizations held meetings, reports were filed, and schoolchildren practiced diving under their desks. More recently we went through the "Y2K" scare.

An issue of the Albuquerque Journal in 1954 gave detailed instructions on what to do before (Keep trash cans covered), during (Fall flat on stomach and cover face with arms), and after (Vigorously scrub fingernail) an attack (see Almost History by Roger Bruns, pp 7-8). Federal employees were instructed to go to their nearest post office to fill out a registration card so that the government, at least, could keep on functioning.

This edition of the Halifax Gazette, 5 October 1961, talks about bomb shelters. The Cuban crisis in 1962 reinforced people's fears.

Created by dbreckenridge 17 Aug 2007

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kwright

I imagine this lead to general pandamonium around the U.S. I can't imagine that this sort of fear has ever prevailed as much in our most recent history.

20 Aug 2007